Post navigation

Older Job Applicants Are Choosing Plastic Surgery to Fight Ageism in the Workplace

Workplace discrimination against older workers is illegal, but there is a growing perception that employers prefer hiring youthful looking job candidates. What’s more, plastic surgeons are benefiting from a growing trend to undergo plastic surgery to fight ageism in the workplace. It makes sense. The job market is tight and baby boomers are beginning to show their age. Even younger workers are seeking the assistance of a plastic surgeon to remain desirable and competitive in the modern technology oriented workplace.

What can an older job seeker do to increase the odds of beating out younger job applicants? It could be a homemaker that just went through a divorce or a longtime employee that recently celebrated their 40th birthday. Plastic surgeons throughout the country are performing surgical procedures to make their patients look younger.

Plastic Surgery

Products and services designed to help people retain their youth are all over the place, including fitness centers, cosmetics, supplements and dietary plans galore. The number of Botox treatments, eyelifts and mini facelifts has increased dramatically over the past five years. More advanced plastic surgery procedures like ultherapy, an ultrasound device used by plastic surgeons to tighten facial skin, are also in demand.

The vast majority of those seeking plastic surgery to look younger are women. There is a growing perception that employers are more likely to select a younger looking job applicant. Many business owners and sales professionals are also turning to plastic surgery to increase their odds of impressing clients and customers. Although there’s a real possibility that too many or poorly performed surgical procedures can backfire, the idea that appearing old can damage one’s professional and social prospects is probably justified.

Fountain of Youth

The stereotype that older workers are undesirable is alive and well. Golden parachutes are still used to invigorate an aging workforce, and a bulging resume may not be enough to beat out a younger job candidate. It’s not fair, but young CEO’s and managers generally don’t want to hire workers that look like their mother or father. All the discrimination laws in the world can’t change the way people naturally think and react. Older workers have realized that a local plastic surgeon just might be the fountain of youth they need to land a good job.

Although older job applicants are mostly seeking subtle improvements in their appearance, nose jobs and breast implants certainly aren’t out of the question. Sagging skin and droopy eyelids can cause someone to appear less energetic than they really are. Ageism is a real phenomenon that can unnecessarily cause an employer to miss out on the life experience, reliability and mature judgment of an older worker.